Siblings Resort: Chapter 1 - Prosper or Abandonment
A young girl is standing in front of me. Her brown eyes, which are the same color as her hair, are cast down with a gloomy expression on her face. She's wearing a magenta dress and a big red bow on her hair, and next to her is another girl similar in age, with straight white hair that reached her waist. Her magenta eyes complimenting the black dress she wore. In front of them is me, a young boy with the same brown eyes and hair as the girl with the red bow, wearing an unbuttoned formal blue suit and pants with a light blue shirt underneath.
"What?! but I just got here! What do you mean I'll be put up for adoption again?"
"The master of the mansion," the white hair girl said with a stoic face, "gave the order. You are to help Miss Mylene dictate and successfully develop one of the islands into a prosperous resort. Failure to do so will result in both of you being cut from the Solstone family and being put up for adoption."
"N-no, way..." The strength in my legs gave up and I fell to my knees. The white hair girl's face gave up a sad expression for a quick second before going back to being stoic again. As for the girl with brown hair, her gloomy expression turns to one of pure sadness. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes, but she tried her best to not break down.
"Mother," she began in a trembling voice, "gave me the assignment a while ago. I studied examples of existing places and I tried to copy what they did. But it didn't work, no matter how many times I tried. And mom, she won't let me see her anymore... And now, she doesn't want me even living in the same home as her..."
"What?" During my astonished remark, the white hair girl stepped forward to grab and pull my hand to help me stand up.
"You're to leave for the target island midday tomorrow. I and a couple of other staff members will accompany you to ensure every need is attended to. There's already a headquarters built on the island where all operations will take place."
"She's sending us there?!"
"Mother, just why...?" Tears were forming more rapidly on the brown hair girl's face. "I-I-I tried really hard..."
"Miss Mylene?"
"I-I-I..." the girl stuttered, "I tried... no, trying, really really hard... I'm trying really really really hard. Really really hard b-but I... I just DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO!" She couldn't hold back her tears any longer and ran out of the room crying. There was an awkward pause after the door closed behind her until I broke it with a sigh of exasperation. Turning my gaze to look directly at the white hair's girl eyes...
"Alicia, I want to talk to you. The real you." The girl flinched, but turn her gaze away to try to hide her frustrated look as the stoic persona she created started to evaporate.
"Master Leon, the real me has nothing to say to you. After all, you made the choice to cut me off."
"...Heh." There was another awkward silence, but I couldn't help but chuckle before grabbing her into a tight hug.
"E-eh? Hey, what are you doing?!" Alicia was now flustered, trying to get free while refusing to look me in the eyes. "What part of cutting me off did you not understand?!"
"I missed you."
"Huh?!" The flustered girl stopped struggling, and just stood in shock. Nothing like the girl who was standing there before.
"I missed you. A lot. I was naive. I thought I was doing you a favor by cutting you off, but I was so naive."
"T-that's..."
"I took you for granted. I didn't realize how important you were to me. These last nine months were horrible. A nightmare come to life. Everyone I met would berate me. Tear my stuff apart, pull nasty pranks, and..."
"M-master Leon...?"
"Ah, no it's nothing." I unknowingly weakened my grip, and she took the chance to separate from me, but not too much. She just eyed me with suspicious eyes. "The point is, I would think of you whenever I get upset or alone and get really lonely. Wishing you were there with me."
"How can you say that with a straight face?! It's embarrassing!"
"Huh, what is?"
"And you still haven't matured enough to grasp the deeper meaning of what you're saying! Oh, that is so unfair!" She instinctively started hitting my chest lightly, trying to drown out the embarrassment. "Really, Master Leon is so unfair!"
"Heh."
"Okay, now you're just being mean! You know what? Fine! I don't care anymore! Just tell me what you need already so I can leave your stupid face alone!" I smiled at her reaction, a strange happiness coming over me.
"This is how you should be. I was afraid you were permanently stuck in work mode when I came in." Seeing my smile, Alicia shows an exasperated look and gave a sigh of her own.
"Look, we can continue this later, but what is it that you need?" She became more serious, so I answered in the same way.
"What exactly is going on? Who is that girl? And this resort situation, what is that all about?"
"That girl is your long-lost sister. Or at least that's what I've gathered from her stories. Said that when she was born, her parents divorced and her mother took her while your father took you."
"You're... being serious. So that girl really is my sister? Father did tell me the same story at times when drunk, but I thought he was messing around."
"No, my mother confirmed the story. She's one hundred percent your biological sister. And for better or worse, the new master of the mansion is your biological mother."
"I... I don't understand. She kicked me out of the house, which is cruel enough itself. But she takes me back to help her daughter and threatens to abandon her too if I fail?! What is she, an enigma?"
"Can't help you there. It's my mother who serves her. I was put in charge of Miss Mylene, but not even either of them understand her." At her response, I massage my forehead in an attempt to stop the incoming headache. That woman... I can't even finish that sentence.
"...And about the resort?"
"I don't know what else to tell you about the resort. An order from your mother to Miss Mylene from the moment she took over. No idea as to the reason why. Just that she wants Mylene to manage it, and has even prepared a headquarters for her months in advance."
"...Sounds to me she wants to get rid of her."
"Yep." Despite the lazy answer, Alicia was a little bit upset about this, showing concern in her expression. "Of course, I haven't told her this fact. She is a good girl though, so it's a bit underserving. Listens to everyone around her, and she really does try her best. The problem is she wasn't rich before coming here."
"You're talking about why she's not doing well with the island resort situation?"
"Yeah, I mean, our parents are rich. We've been taught using special medicine and technological programs to have knowledge beyond what kids our age normally know. As a common citizen, she's average at best."
"You know, even if we're advanced for our age, it's still a HUGE jump from doing the theories to actually start managing a resort. That's just ludicrous!" Alicia just raised her shoulders in response.
"Still have to do it. But wha-" Pausing for some reason, she got a bit nervous after getting an idea. Her face blushing a bit, her right hand twirling some hair as she looked at the floor. "That is... unless you h-have other ideas?"
"Other ideas? Hmmm...No, not re-" Out of nowhere, I suddenly remember a request that was begged to me nine months ago. From a girl who was desperate and crying. "Running away..." I whispered. Alicia jolted at the mention of these words. For some reason, she smiles despite still being red.
"Y-you remember."
"Yeah, it's the moment I thought about most for the past nine months..." Alicia nervously looked up, her face practically steaming from how red she was.
"I-I know you rejected the idea before, but I'm still okay with running away w-with you..."
"...It's a choice, but a pretty bold one..."
"Ah!? I didn't mean anything weird by that! It just..." Alicia pauses for a second, looking gloomy. "It's just that I didn't think I would ever see you again. The thought alone really hurts and if the situation seems hopeless, why not run away with me so that we can still be together? While we still have a chance..."
"...I've hurt you. I'm sorry."
"Yeah, you did. But... at least I'm seeing you now. A miraculous second chance." Her expression lighten as she gave me a nervous smile.
"..." This is a big decision. She's not wrong, this is a second chance to do what I did not have the courage to do before. I regretted my choice the first time around. Should I really be making the same choice again...?
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"M-master Leon...?" Her words released me from my trance. My eyes were attracted to her beautiful magenta eyes. Magenta... like the color of a skirt. Her skirt.
"Alicia, if we ran away, would we take Mylene too?" My words confused her at first, but then she caught on. She thought about it for a little while, and then gave me a serious response, but not before letting a disappointed expression escape for a quick second.
"Miss Mylene... Right... I guess it would be cruel to leave her behind. To be honest, I'm not that close to her, so I'm indifferent in either case here. It is possible, but she doesn't trust us. It would be hard to convince her."
"I see." Right, we don't know each other. Running away is an option, but only me and Alicia would be okay with this plan from the start. If we asked and she refused our offer, she would have to be left behind. It would be a decision she made, so it would be fair, but... I shook my head to showcase my exasperation. "This decision is too big to make on the fly. I'll need to sleep on it."
"I guess that's fair, but our limit is tomorrow morning, so don't take too long." She pauses, her eyes widening remembering something. "Ah, that's right, sleeping arrangements."
"Sleeping arrangements?"
"Your mother said to have you sleep on the couch, but I've maintained our secret base. You can sleep there if you prefer."
"Mother sure is cruel..." I said at my limits with her. "Yeah, I'll do that. Ah, right. Will we be sleeping together tonight?"
"Sleeping together?" Alicia repeated.
"Yeah, us together tonight." There was a pause, and Alicia suddenly started to panic.
"HAAAH?!" Her face exploded with emotions in that instance. From astonishment, to shyness, to embarrassment, her face was like a rainbow. "US?! SLEEPING?! TONIGHT?! TOGETHER?! W-WAIT! WAIT-WAIT-WAIT-WAIT-WAIT! WAIT! My heart is not ready! We're not of legal age yet! We're also master and servant, it would be forbidden! And tonight, I have to get everything ready for tomorrow! Oh, why did I procrastinate?! If only I didn't have my head in the clouds during the day, maybe we could've-"
"Alicia, calm down! What's wrong?" I took hold of her shoulders so she stop spinning around like a nervous wreck. This was the first time she has ever acted like this.
"What?! Calm down?! How can I calm down when y-y-y-you just suggested for us to become adu-" At that instant, for some reason, she stopped moving completely, and turned to look at me directly in the eyes. Studying me, as if searching for something.
"GNNENENENENENE!" She started growling for some reason, and before I knew it, I was on my butt on the floor.
"MASTER LEON, YOU ARE REALLY STUPIIIIIID! STUPID FACE! STUPID MASTER! PLAYER! NO! I'M NOT GOING TO SLEEP WITH YOU! JUST GO TO SLEEP ALONE TONIGHT, YOU STUPID MASTER! COLD AND ALONE! AND STAY COLD AND ALONE UNTIL I GO WAKE YOU UP TOMORROW, STUPID FACE!" With that, Alicia violently slammed the door close and I was left scared and alone on the concrete floor.
"W-what was that about?!"
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